The New Mexico Secretary of State has validated the Libertarian Party’s ballot access petition. The party is now considered ballot-qualified for both 2010 and 2012.

However, New Mexico law treats a qualified party that nominates by convention badly. Even though the party is ballot-qualified, it must still submit a separate petition for each of its nominees. The only exception is that presidential nominees don’t need a petition.

A similar law in Maryland was invalidated in 2003, so New Mexico is the only state that requires one petition to qualify a party, and then separate petitions for each of the party’s nominees (a nominee is someone who has already been nominated; this type of petition should not be confused with a petition to place a candidate on a party’s own primary ballot).

The Libertarian Party now is on the statewide ballot in 2010 in 31 states. Exactly four years ago it was on in 28.

At 8:35 a.m. on May 5, KPFA-FM in Berkeley, California broadcast a discussion about Proposition 14, the “top-two” measure on the June 8, 2010 ballot. That was part of the station’s “Morning Show” which always starts at 7 a.m. Anyone can hear the May 5 “Morning Show” by going to KPFA.org, and choosing the link to today’s Morning Show in the archives. However, the link gives the listener the entire show, not just that segment. The Proposition 14 segment begins one hour and 35 minutes after the start of the show.

The only in-studio participant was Hank Chapot of the California Green Party. He spoke against Proposition 14. On the phone, also speaking against Proposition 14, was Tom Del Beccaro, a vice chair of the state Republican Party. Also on the phone, speaking in favor of Proposition 14, was Jason Olson of Independent Voice. KPFA tried to give equal time to both sides, so that Olson’s time would equal the combined time for Chapot and del Baccaro. KPFA is the Pacifica Station for northern California.

Independent Voice has many new members and activists, but the group was started by veterans of the New Alliance Party. The New Alliance Party vigorously contested elections and fought unfair ballot access laws during its years of existence, 1979 through 1994. In 1994 the New Alliance Party dissolved itself and helped create the Patriot Party. When Ross Perot started the Reform Party in September 1995, the Patriot Party dissolved itself and went into the Reform Party. Veterans of the New Alliance Party finally gave up on trying to build a minor political party, and formed the Committee for a Unified Independent Party, or CUIP, while continuing to participate inside the New York Independence Party, especially in New York city. Now the CUIP brand has been changed to Independent Voting (nationally) and Independent Voice (in California).